In today’s video, we’re going to be using a variety of WOW! Embossing powder products to create 3 cards with darker coloured cardstock, whether we heat emboss directly onto the card, use an embossing paste or add a heat embossed die-cut. Heat embossing can really add pops of colour and texture with a whole host of darker colours. I don’t know about you, but it’s not the first thing I think of doing when I sit down to craft but I really enjoyed creating with dark coloured cardstock, so let’s give it ago!
PRODUCED AS PART OF MY DESIGN-TEAM WORK FOR WOW! Embossing powder - SEE END OF POST FOR MORE DETAILS
Technique 1: Earth Sparkles + embossing paste
To start off, using a blending tool, add Juniper Mist Catherine Pooler ink in a circular motion onto a piece of Blue Denim Gina K Cardstock. It’s important not to add ink all the way into the middle of the card as you want to leave an area to add as a spotlight. Now, for a little more interest, go in with a slightly darker colour using Black Jack Catherine Pooler ink, just on the edges to really emphasise the colour change.

Before we add the stencilled design, we can add more interest to the background. Next, stamp the Altenew Pinstriped background in Hickory Smoke Distress oxide.
The stencil for this card is the Altenew Flowing Hearts stencil. It is best to use some Heffy Doodle Memo tape to secure the card panel down to a glass mat. Next, place the stencil over the panel, off to one side for more appealing card design and secure with low tack tape. In addition, use a combination of memo tape and post-it note to mask off the remainder of the card panel and stencil.

adding the embossing paste
Next, apply some Altenew embossing paste with a spatula to the top the stencil. For a smooth application to a large stencil like this, I like to use my Stencil pal from Thermo web to drag the pastedown over the stencil.

Whilst the paste is wet, we can apply Earth Sparkles over the top as they will adhere to the wet surface. Next, remove the stencil and clean this straight away. Next, liberally sprinkle Lobster Earth Sparkles over the paste.

Technique 2: Regular heat embossing
For the second card, start off with a lighter colour cardstock. Again, using a blending tool add Something Borrowed Catherine Pooler ink and starting at the bottom of the panel, moving upwards to about a third of the way from the top. For the next colour, blend Suede shoes Catherine Pooler ink this time adding the ink up to about half the way up the card. Lastly, then go in Juniper Mist for just the bottom third of the colour to add more depth to the panel.

Now, use the Pinstripe background to add a little faux table for the flower vase to sit on at the base of the card. Again this was stamped in Hickory smoke distress oxide. It is important for the card panel to be completely dry before you heat emboss.

adding the embossing powder
Next, stamp one of the vases from the Altenew Mod vase stamp set with my clear ultra slow drying embossing ink pad with your MISTI. This will allow you to heat emboss several layers of powder on the Mod Vase.

Next, cover with Lavaburst embossing powder. As this melts, it has a lovely mixture of colours. Repeat the process of stamping and embossing to add more dimension and texture to the card. Each time you add a layer of powder, it adds to the texture making it look like a real stone vase.

To stamp the flower, use a flower from the Altenew Engraved flowers stamp set, and a few post-it notes to mask the leaves as we don’t want to emboss these. Next, cover with Opaque Bright white embossing powder and heat set.
Technique 3: heat embossed die-cuts
For the last card, we’re going to add an embossed die-cut onto a dark card panel. For this, use the PinkFresh Studio Beautiful Blooms die and die-cut this out of white card. The easiest way to add the ink is to smoosh the ink pad down onto the die-cut.

Next, cover this with embossing powder using soft mango embossing powder. This is a translucent powder so if you were to heat emboss this directly onto dark card it wouldn’t show the lovely coral colour, but rather a glossy darker version of the card. So here on the white die-cut, you can see the lovely coral colour and the shine from the powder as well. For more definition, repeat the process adding 3-4 layers of powder for smooth and strong colour.

Adding more interest
To add more interest and layers to the card panel, blend Juniper Mist and Black Jack ink, keeping it more concentrated in one corner. In addition, add the pinstripe background to the card as well only inking up one corner with Hickory Smoke distress oxide.

To add more texture to the background add splatters of Altenew Pure White Ink spray out using a brush. ou can use two sizes of round brushes to get a variety of ink splatter sizes. The panel needs to left to dry before finishing the card off.

Add Your Heading Text Here
To finish all three cards off, use the Altenew Hello and Hugs stamp set to stamp out the sentiments. The large Hugs and Hello were stamped in Hero Arts Soft Granite Shadow ink and die-cut out. All the sentiments were heat embossed in opaque bright white embossing powder onto black cardstock and trimmed down into thin strips. The sentiments were foam mounted onto all the card panels for a little more dimension.

Lastly, each card with finished off with Morning Dew Nuvo Crystal drops. I hope today’s video has inspired you to get creative with dark cardstock and see how your heat embossing or sparkles can
Supplies
creating with dark coloured cardstock
Affiliate links used at no extra cost to you at these shops: Altenew (ALT), Scrapbook.com (SB), Hero Arts (HA), Picket Fence Studios (PF), My Favourite Things (MFT), and Craft Stash UK/US (CS UK/US).
All other shops are not affiliated links: Bumbleberry Papercrafts (BP) and WOW! UK/US (WOW UK/US).
![]() Pinstripe – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | ![]() Engraved flowers – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | CS (UK) | ![]() Hello and Hugs – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) |
![]() Mod Vases – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() Hello & Hugs Die – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() Hello & Hugs Die – Altenew Shop at: ALT | CS (UK) | CS (US) |
![]() Flowing Hearts Stencil – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | ![]() Juniper Mist Ink – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB | ![]() Juniper Mist Reinker – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB |
![]() Suede Shoes – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB | ![]() Suede Shoes reinker – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB | ![]() Black Jack Ink – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB |
![]() Black Jack reinker – Catherine Pooler Designs Shop at: SB | ![]() Soft Granite Shadow Ink – Hero Arts Shop at: BP | SB | HA | ![]() Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) |
![]() Hickory Smoke Distress Oxide ReInker – Ranger Ink Shop at: SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink pad Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | ![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink refill Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
![]() WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink pad & refill Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | ![]() Opaque Bright White -WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | ![]() Lobster Earth Sparkles – WOW! Shop at: SB | CS (UK) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
![]() Soft Mango – WOW! Shop at: WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | ![]() LavaBurst – WOW! Shop at: CS (UK) | CS (US) | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | ![]() Embossing Paste – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB |
![]() Pure White Ink Spray – Altenew Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | ![]() Morning Dew Nuvo Crystal Drops – Tonic Studios Shop at: SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() Blue Denim Heavy weight cardstock – Gina K Shop at: BP |
![]() Powder Blue Heavy Weight Cardstock – Gina K Designs Shop at: BP | ![]() Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb Cardstock Shop at: BP | SB | ![]() Memo Tape – Heffy Doodle Shop at: BP | SB |
![]() Memo Tape and Dispensar – Heffy Doodle Shop at: BP | SB | ![]() Original MISTI – My Sweet Petunia Shop at: ALT | BP | SB | HA | ![]() Gina K Designs – Connect Glue Shop at: BP |
![]() Scrapbook Adhesives 3D foam squares 1/4″ white Shop at: BP | SB | ![]() Inkadinkdoo Stamping Mask Paper Shop at: BP | SB | ![]() WOW! Dual Speed Heat Gun (UK version) Shop at: CS (UK) | WOW (UK) |
![]() WOW! Dual Speed Heat Gun (US version) Shop at: WOW (US) | ![]() Mini Ink Blending Tool – Ranger Tim Holtz Shop at: BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) | ![]() Mini Ink Blending foam replacements – Ranger Tim Holtz Shop at: BP | SB | CS (UK) | CS (US) |
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Design team work:
DISCLOSURE
This post was produced as part of my design team work for WOW! Embossing Powders have not been paid to make this post, but I am given supplies from WOW! Embossing Powder to use. However, I create projects with creative control and produce projects I am proud of and with products that I love. The information provided is based on my own personal experience – I am not an expert.